African American History Research Papers

African American History research papers look into the experience of African Americans since the founding of the British colonies.

Research papers on African American history can cover a wide variety of topics. From a historical perspective, African Americans have had a rich and turbulant history in the United States. In the United States, February is Black History Month, recognizing and celebrating African American history, the subdivision of history that examines the experience of African Americans since the founding of the British colonies.

The first African slaves came to Virginia in 1619. Many were captured in Africa and forced to cross the Atlantic in what is known as the Middle Passage.

Slavery persisted in the United States from 1619 to 1865. Massachusetts was the first colony to legalize slavery in 1641, and by 1700 there were over 25,000 slaves in the American colonies, comprising about ten percent of the total population. Eventually, the northern colonies abolished slavery, and many slaves attempted to escape to freedom using the Underground Railroad.

Following the Civil War, the 14th Amendment outlawed slavery in the United States, although severe discrimination persisted in the American South under Jim Crow laws. In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Plessey v. Ferguson that separate but equal was constitutional. The NAACP was formed in 1909 under the leadership of W.E.B. DuBois.

Civil Rights Movement

Civil Rights – The purpose of this term paper is to discuss aspects of civil rights in America from the perspective that civil rights issues will never be fully resolved in the changing culture of the United States.

Civil Rights Act of 1964 – A Civil Rights Act of 1964 term paper shows that the act did not bring about instantaneous change, but it did draw a line in the sand.

Civil Rights Movement – The civil rights movement in America, which began officially under President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, has led to tremendous forward strides for African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and women.